Watching people speak their own truth is always an enlightening experience. To mark Pride Month, Ibis Kolkata Rajarhat hosted ‘Together In Pride’ where queer individuals, their allies and the staff of the esteemed property sat down for a panel discussion. Panellists Neelay Sengupta, Indroneel Mukherjee, Anupam Chatterjee and RJ Arijit spoke on the NYC Pride theme of ‘Reflect, Empower, Unite’!
The relevance of Reflect, Empower, Unite
RJ Arijit believes that no matter what, you have to reflect on yourself
RJ Arijit believes that no matter what, you have to reflect on yourself, and when it reflects your identity, you must empower it. “Only then can we unite together,” he said, adding that it is important to follow these three mantras in order to accept yourself and then have society accept it as well. Although the community is moving forward sometimes it tends to take the back seat and it is only the unity amongst people that can prevent that from happening.
Education too plays a big role according to Indroneel Mukherjee
Education begins at home
Education too plays a big role according to Indroneel Mukherjee. “You need to understand what we are coming from and where we are coming from,” he said. People often mistake the concept of gender identity and sexual orientation as the same. Some people may take for granted that a male dressed in a woman’s attire must be a trans-man or vice versa. But the fact of the matter is that it could be just a cis male (gender identity) who enjoys wearing female clothing (gender expression).
You need to educate your child at home according to stylist Anupam Chatterjee.
But where does education about this start? “At home!” according to stylist Anupam Chatterjee. “You need to educate your child at home. I grew up in a Bengali joint family and it was quite difficult. I spoke to my parents first about myself and that’s when I realised,” he added.
This helps in the long run in all aspects, especially in workplace environments. Not many people have the liberty or chance to work in an open, flamboyant workspace where who you are is secondary to the work you do. Many queer and trans individuals work in corporate workspaces where the queer community might be seen as out-of-the-ordinary.
Inclusivity for all
Ibis Kolkata Rajarhat’s general manager Amita Mishra emphasised how important it is to include all
Awareness is key
As an ally, Paromita Ghosh is smitten by the fact that her 15-year-old is more sensitive than her about the third gender. “They have read more than us at a tender age and they have no problem in accepting people who do not pertain to the normal of life,” she said. A male who wears nail polish will not be questioned by them because they have the education. Our environment needs to be sensitised and the only way by doing so is by proper education and awareness.
Paromita Ghosh was the moderator of the event
The importance of supportive working environment
Culinary chef at Ibis, Som, spoke about his experience at the property
At a drag party, Som is seen decked up in a dress, makeup on point and dancing the night away celebrating him/themself. At the panel discussion, we saw Som or Saurav Banerjee in a new avatar — sporting his chef’s outfit. “I am back after one year because of a college programme. I was placed somewhere else and it felt like it was missing something,” he said, adding that he missed the Ibis family where he was looked at and treated differently. He confesses that the hotel management sector outside of Ibis had been tough for him and even “unsafe” at times.
“We used to have a survey every year where they asked if the LGBTQIA+ people were safe or not. Many would say that although they have provided jobs it came with a lot of negative things. They get bullied and I have also faced it,” he added.
What society needs to do
Dancer and designer Neelay Sengupta hopes that lines of communication will open gradually, as the queer community also gets courageous enough to stop hiding
Dancer Neelay Sengupta gave his two cents about what the community has done and what society now needs to do. “The door is now open to society and those who have kept the door closed mentally can’t be forced to open them,” he said. However, he hopes that these doors and lines of communication will open gradually, as the queer community also gets courageous enough to stop hiding. “We have the confidence to look into each other’s eyes and talk about this now. And those who have kept their eyes closed can’t be forced to dream. We close our eyes and dream, and when we open them we make those dreams come to life,” he signed off.
